


Someone to Love

by CrypticCravings (Sekaiinokoi)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Adrinette April, Adrinette April 2018, Chapter titles come from songs I like, Comfort, Drabble Fic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fencing, Friends to Lovers, Golden Child - Freeform, Honeyst - Freeform, SHINee - Freeform, Shy Marinette, Vixx - Freeform, adrienette - Freeform, hide - Freeform, some chapters are drabbles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-04-18 15:38:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14216346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sekaiinokoi/pseuds/CrypticCravings
Summary: "Who, Marinette? She's just a friend."Every time Adrien said these words, he thought they were the truth, but he soon discovers that he's been lying to himself for a long time.A story told in a series of drabbles from the prompts of Adrinette April 2018.





	1. DamDaDi

**Author's Note:**

> "I want to see you face  
> I want to hear your voice  
> But I don’t know if I should call you first  
> I can’t fall asleep tonight  
> I wonder if you know my heart"  
> \--Someone to Love by Honeyst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Adrinette April Day 1: Hide
> 
> "Oh yeah, you’re perfectly perfect  
> I compliment you very much  
> Damdadi damdadi, I like that"  
> \--DamDadDi by Golden Child
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpMdr_5bygo

_ Why am I like this,  _ Marinette wondered. 

She ducked behind a pillar as Adrien walked past, laughing at something Nino was saying.

She was such a coward. 

They were friends-- _ good  _ friends. They made jokes and hung out--heck, she even helped him run from his crazed fans. Yet, for some reason, this was still happening. Sometimes, her nervousness around Adrien overtook her and it was either make a fool of herself of hide.

Today, she chose to hide.

What was wrong with her? She was a confident person, even more so since she started donning the spotted mask of her alter ego. She could face down akumas all day long. Monsters made of her friends and family throwing everything they had her way, she could handle it all.

But one smile from her blond haired classmate and her brain turned to mush.

Marinette peered around the pillar. 

There he was. 

The sunlight highlighted his golden hair perfectly, his smile shining twice as brightly as usual, making Marinette wonder if something good had happened to him today. He seemed to be in a really good mood. It was a nice change from the rain clouds that seemed to be following him the last few weeks.

That thought brought a grin to Marinette’s face and made her wonder what had him so uplifted. Seeing him like this, laughing, relaxed, and just really happy drew her in. She wanted to be a part of his good day, too. 

“What’s the matter, Marinette?” Tikki whispered, peeking out of Marinette’s purse. “Why don’t you go talk to him?”

Marinette sighed dreamily. “He looks so happy.”

“That’s a good thing, right? So why are you hiding?”

“I don’t want to embarrass myself again. I don’t mind watching today. He seems like he’s in a really good mood today. It seems like he’s had a lot of bad days lately, so I’m glad to see him smiling again.”

Tikki smiled and shook her head. “Marinette, when you’re in a good mood, don’t you want to share it with your friends? I’m sure Adrien would be happy to talk to you.”

Marinette glanced at Adrien again. He was poking at Nino with a sly grin that made her heart jump. “You’re right, Tikki. Days like these are even better with friends.” 

With a steadying breath, Marinette adjusted her school bag. She slapped both of her cheeks and pulled a smile onto her face before stepping out from the shadow of her pillar. 

It was already a good day, but she had a feeling it was about to be even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr! CrypticCravings.Tumblr.com


	2. You're Impressive (G.R.8.U)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Adrinette April 2018 Day 3: Fencing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You completely  
> Disarmed all of me  
> I think I’m losing control  
> There’s no way something  
> This sweet can be bad for me  
> I want to love you  
> Are you human?  
> How can you be so beautiful?  
> Look at that face that is smiling at me"  
> \--You're Impressive (G.R.8.U.) by Vixx  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vIZT-aIUKc

“Widen your stance just a bit more,” Adrien coached, tapping Marinette’s leg with the tip of his sabre. 

She adjusted her feet to his specifications and held her own sword ready. She instantly felt more stable. 

Adrien assessed her stance once again and nodded. He pushed up his mask and shot her one of his dazzling smiles. “Very good, Marinette. I knew you were a natural at the actual fencing part, but you’re really impressive on the technical side, too.”

Marinette giggled at the praise. “I guess it’s from watching you-y-ya-years of fencing! On TV and stuff.”

“I didn’t realize you were such a big fan,” Adrien replied, either having missed her slip, or politely ignoring it.

“Yeah,” she sighed dreamily, glad that her mask covered up her dopey expression for once. 

“Is that why you wanted to join the D’Argencourt school?”

“Huh?” Marinette suddenly snapped back to herself at his question. After her failed audition for M. D’Argencourt’s fencing school, Adrien had generously agreed to spend some of his scarce and precious free time tutoring her in the sport. According to him, she was too good to let go, and she should train to be ready for the next time there was an opening. “Oh, uuum, yeah! That’s it! Fencing is just such a fascinating sport.”

She couldn’t tell him the real reason she was studying it, of course. If you were to ask Alya or any of her other friends, they would probably say it was another way for her to get close to her crush, the fencing prodigy, but they couldn’t know the truth, either. The true reason she was interested in studying fencing was to improve her combat skills as Ladybug. The extra time with Adrien was a bonus, if a calculated one. 

Ladybug was strong, and Marinette was confident that she was doing well in her hunt for Hawkmoth, but she could always improve her skills. There was always something she could be doing better. So, she figured taking up a sport was her best option for improving. Cat Noir had always worked well with his staff. It was beautiful to watch if she took a moment to actually observe his form. She liked to think

that’s where the idea of fencing had come from. 

“What about you,” Marinette asked. She pushed up her own mask and followed him as he strode over to the bench where they’d left their water bottles. “How did you start fencing?”

Adrien took a swig of water, mulling over Marinette’s question. He’d never really thought about it, to be honest. “I guess I’m doing it because it’s something to do?”

Marinette took a seat on the bench and looked up at him. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well,” Adrien shifted the water bottle between his hands. “My father likes to keep me busy. My mother used to say that the extracurriculars were to help me grow into a well rounded adult. Some of them are things my father did growing up, like piano. It’s a family tradition. But fencing? It just seemed like the most interesting out of the options I was given.

"So, it's not something you're especially passionate about, then?" Marinette asked, adding that tidbit of information to the list of personal details she knew about Adrien Agreste. 

He shrugged. "I guess not, but it's not like I hate it either. At least this one is physically active. I definitely prefer to be out and about and on my feet if I can. Fencing is pretty fun. I like being able to spar with my teammates, and M. D'Argencourt is really awesome. It's great to be able to learn from a real master."

Marinette nodded, understanding the feeling. It was why she'd tried out for the D'Argencourt school in the first place. 

The pair sat in silence for a moment, Marinette taking in everything she'd learned about her crush in the past hour that they'd been practicing. She was glad that they started doing this. Not only was she improving her combat skills, but she was getting to know Adrien on a more personal level.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and caught him staring off into space, seemingly lost in thought.

Unfortunately, everything she learned about him had not been positive. She was suspecting that his home life, living with Gabriel Agreste, was less than cheerful. She didn't know the extent, but she knew enough to realize that Adrien was far more used to being disappointed than anyone should be. The expectations set by his father were astronomical, and the man was rarely around or involved. Adrien, Marinette was beginning to understand, was lonely. It made her drive to be closer to him that much stronger. 

Adrien shook his head, shaking off the far off look as well. He shot Marinette what she was beginning to call his model smile--the less than genuine smile that he used when he wanted people to think he was alright. "That's enough of a break, don't you think?" He said, pulling his mask down over his face. "I think you've got the basics down. Let's spar a bit."

Marinette smiled and pulled her own mask over her face. She loved this part. Adrien never went easy on her, and their chemistry during a match was only rivaled by the give and take she had with Cat Noir during a battle. "Sounds good to me. I could use a good win today."

"Oh, you think you're going to win, huh?" He teased.

"I don't think. I know." She teased back.

"We'll see about that." Adrien shifted his position to be at the ready.

Marinette smirked and mirrored his posture. "Bring it on, Agreste."

She was really starting to love fencing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on Tumblr! CrypticCravings.tumblr.com


	3. My Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 of Adrinette Month 2018: Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You shine brigher than the stars in the sky  
> You call out to me with those pretty lips  
> Will you always stay there?  
> I’ll always be with you, you’re my light  
> You’re warmer than anything else in the world, my love  
> You always warmly hugged me by my side  
> I want only you, my light"  
> \--My Light by VIXX  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlpvZZtpnMw

 

Adrien sighed in annoyance as he pushed away from his desk. He shot Chloe a glare as he walked by, which she pointedly ignored. 

She was making it harder and harder to remain friends with every passing day.

Alya started to stand, but Adrien shook his head. He'd take this one. Alya nodded and sat back down. 

"Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this?" Chloe said, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder. Her voice grated on Adrien's nerves, not for the first time. "I only said the truth."

"You always take things too far, Chloe," Adrien heard Alix say with a pound of her fist. 

He closed the door behind him, leaving his classmates to deal with his unruly childhood friend.

"Where are we going now?" Plagg asked, popping up from Adrien's pocket. "Please tell me it's finally lunch time."

"Not yet, Plagg," Adrien murmured through gritted teeth, "we need to check on Marinette."

Plagg let out a noise somewhere between a groan and a wail. "Don't you have better things to do than hanging out with your girl friend? Like _feeding me_?"

"Didn't I pack you enough snacks?"

"It's never enough when it comes to cheese!"

Adrien shook his head and ignored the rest of the pests's complaining. 

He spotted Marinette in the corner of the stairwell. She was curled into herself, muttering angrily. 

Chloe must have gotten to her worse than he thought. Typically, Marinette could argue back with Chloe and hold her own, even when the attack was personal. But today, she had insulted Marinette's parents, and their bakery. It was rare for Chloe to get under Marinette's skin. According to Nino, Chloe had picked on Marinette since grade school, and it used to affect the girl far worse. She had been quiet, introverted, and timid, a far different person from the firey class president Adrien had come to know. 

But as strong and confident as the Marinette Adrien knew was, she was far from made of stone. Her feelings could still get hurt, if you knew which buttons to push. Chloe had found those buttons today. 

Hearing Adrien's footsteps coming down the stairs, Marinette's spine stiffened. She dropped her purse, which she had been cradling in her lap, to her side. 

Adrien sat down on the step next to his friend."Hey, Marinette." 

"H-hey." She said. 

Adrien studied her face, and while it was a bit pink, she didn't seem to be crying like Adrien had originally thought when she'd run out of the room. That was good at least. "Are you alright?"

Marinette's mouth screwed up into a semblance of a smile. "I'm alright now," she said. "I don't know how you can put up with her! She's just so--so--frustrating!"

"Yeah, Nino says the same thing all the time." Adrien stared at his shoes. "She's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. She hasn't always been this mean. I don't know what happened."

"You're not going to try to talk me into giving her another chance to be nice again, are you?" Marinette folded her arms over her knees and shot him a weak smile.

"Not this time," Adrien chuckled. He knew Chloe was more than capable of being kind to her classmates if she wanted to. The problem was, she just didn't want to. For some reason, it was especially difficult for her to be kind to the sweet classmate sitting next to him. 

"Good."

Adrien tried not to pry. He wanted Marinette to trust him, and to know he was there as her friend, not just out of pity or to make up for Chloe’s mistakes. He genuinely wanted Marinette to be alright, but he struggled with what to say so that she would believe him.

Instead of agonizing over what to say, he put his arm around Marinette's shoulder. She stiffened for a moment before relaxing into his touch. He leaned into her side, her warmth seeping into him. Having his friend so close to him soothed a deep seated coldness in his bones, and he wondered if she wasn't the one comforting him.

"Chloe had no business talking about your parents that way," Adrien said finally. "Everyone knows it's not true, but that still doesn't make it okay." He pulled back a little bit to look her in the eye. "Your parents are good people, Marinette."

She smiled. "I know they are." She leaned back into his shoulder. "Thank you."

For some reason, the way Marinette fit perfectly into his side sent a heat blooming in his chest and a fluttering about in his stomach. "Y-yeah. No problem."

"I'm not ready to go back to class yet," Marinette murmured. "If I see Chloe again, I might say something I regret. And I don't feel like getting angry again."

"I don't mind staying here with you a little longer."

"Thank you." She said.

Adrien was perfectly content in that moment. Despite the fact that he'd come out to check on his friend, he had a feeling that he was savoring this moment far more than she was. 


	4. I Want You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want you  
> I hope you'll come to me  
> With a different ending than last time  
> I can't let you go  
> I dreamed of this moment every day  
> I said I want you.
> 
> \--I Want You by SHINee

Cat Noir crossed his arms behind his head, one leg crossed over the other, toe tapping anxiously in the air. He stared up at the Parisian night sky, wishing for once that he could see the stars. Maybe they could help him clear his head.

Unfortunately, even on the clearest of nights, he couldn't. So he was stuck staring into the darkness above. At least the cool rooftiles under his suit were a bit calming.

He and his father had gotten into it again. It was an increasing problem in the Agreste household, and there were no signs of it getting any better. To top it all off, his father had once again threatened to drag Adrien out of school. The threat was getting old, because he never actually followed through with it, but it still made Adrien bristle.

The only bright spot in his day was seeing his friends.

After the argument, Adrien had run out of the house, trying to walk off his anger before his bodyguard inevitably came to save him from the cruel, terrifying world outside of his own bedroom. Before he even realized where his feet were taking him, he found himself in front of Marinette's parent's bakery.

Inside, Nino and Alya worked on their homework at one of the tables while Marinette worked the register. His feet carried him through the door before he could even think about it. They were excited to see him, as they always were. It was rare that his father let him out of the house for anything other than a structured activity. Adrien didn't have his homework with him, so he just joined his friends at their table and scrolled through his social media feed, the tension in his back easing when he was with people who actually cared about him. Shortly after, Marinette brought him a chocolate croissant, "On the house, of course."

And everything felt like it was going to be okay. Adrian loved his friends. Especially Marinette.

Cat Noir shot up from his position on the roof. Where had that thought come from?

_Especially Marinette._

As the newness of that thought settled in, Cat Noir laid back against the rooftop and gazed up at the moon.

Chloe was his oldest friend.

Nino was his best friend.

But Marinette...

She was one of the first people he could call a friend when he started school. She was...interesting. Quirky at times, but it was endearing.

On top of that, she was kind. She stood up for what was right, even if it meant admitting she was wrong. She always knew how to cheer him up, too.

As Cat Noir reflected on this. Any time someone asked if he liked Marinette--which happened way more frequently than he could count--he always professed that she was just a friend. And she was just a friend, he supposed, but maybe he was starting to think of her as something more.

And it was a little funny how natural that felt.

Suddenly, Adrien thought, this day wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
